What cable rereg requires

The FCC must determine “reasonable” rates for “basic” service — public, educational and government cable channels and cable-delivered local affils of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS. The FCC could step in if charges for extra programming become exorbitant.

The FCC must ensure reasonable prices for installation and equipment such as remote control devices and converter boxes.

Cable companies must not charge for services or equipment not explicitly requested by a customer.

The FCC must set service standards to protect against chronic outages and guarantee that customers get quick telephone response to questions about billing , refunds and service. Communities could set additional standards.

After a maximum of 10 years, basic cable subscribers would be allowed to purchase premium channels, such as HBO and Showtime, without subscribing to an expanded tier of service first.

Communities could not block TV systems competing with a local cable franchise.

Cable programming must be made available to competitors.

Cable companies must negotiate with local broadcast stations before carrying their signals but cannot refuse to carry the signals.

The FCC must limit the number of subscribers a single cable company can have nationwide and the number of channels on each system that can be programmed by companies in which the operator has a financial interest.